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Animal watchers were left scrambling after West Coast’s live mascot eagle escaped and landed in the crowd during a pre-match flight.
As part of West Coast’s pre-match tradition, the Rice Eagles took a flying tour of Optus Stadium ahead of Saturday’s AFL clash with St Kilda.
But after initially returning to its designated landing spot in the middle of the oval, the eagle quickly escaped and took to flying to different parts of the 60,000-seat stadium.
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The eagle landed in the crowd several times, spending a minute or two in each spot before flying off again.
The ground spokesman warned fans not to approach the eagle due to its “sharp talons”.
The eagle was still flying around when the players from both sides landed on the ground.
The accompanying fireworks sparked concerns among some fans that the animal might be spooked.
After more than 10 minutes of freedom, the eagle was finally captured after spending several minutes on a railing in the crowd.
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